US Congress passes law for Russia sanctions
Quick Look
- The US Congress has passed a Russia sanctions law that provides for direct punitive measures against Russian politicians and companies and is intended to impose greater restrictions on Russian oil and gas exports in order to finance the war of aggression against Ukraine.
- The law imposes tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian energy and could strain U.S. trade relations with China and India.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
After the Senate and the House of Representatives, the US Congress voted for a sanctions law to put more pressure on Russia over the Ukraine war. In addition to direct punitive measures against Russian politicians and companies, the law is intended to curb Russian oil and gas exports, which Russia uses to finance its war of aggression.
News blog on the Ukraine war US Congress passes law for Russia sanctions
September 17, 2026, 4:02 am|
In addition to direct punitive measures against Russian politicians and companies, the law is intended to curb Russian oil and gas exports, which Russia uses to finance its war of aggression.
All developments in the live blog
Much information about the course of the war, such as casualty numbers or details about fighting, comes from Ukrainian or Russian authorities and cannot be independently verified. In addition to our own research, we use material from the news agencies dpa, Reuters, epd, KNA and Bloomberg for our live blog.
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Ulrike Putz
US Congress passes law for Russia sanctions
In the USA, after the Senate, the House of Representatives also voted for a sanctions law to put more pressure on Russia over the Ukraine war. In addition to direct punitive measures against Russian politicians and companies, the law is intended to curb Russian oil and gas exports, which Russia uses to finance its war of aggression.
House Democrats voted for the bill with a bipartisan majority of 262 to 159. It goes to US President Donald Trump for signature, who had previously indicated his approval. The Senate had already approved the law with a clear majority last month. The project bears the name of Senator and Trump confidant Lindsey Graham, who died in July and was instrumental in pushing it forward.
Among other things, the law authorizes Trump to impose sanctions on the five largest buyers of Russian energy sources - as well as the five countries that help Russia the most in evading energy sanctions. This could further strain US trade relations with China and India, which purchase large quantities of Russian oil.
First, the five largest buyers of Russian energy will be targeted in the year before the law comes into force. The tariffs on imports from these countries into the USA can therefore be up to 100 percent. The amount can be adjusted over time depending on a country's efforts to move away from Russian oil and gas. Who the five largest importers are should be determined every 180 days.
At the same time, there should be exceptions for countries whose imports accounted for less than 15 percent of Russian natural gas exports in a twelve-month period. There should also be exceptions for those who take measures to reduce these purchases. “Our European allies are not affected here,” emphasized Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal in mid-July.
In addition to the Russia sanctions, the law also sets the framework for an extension of sanctions against Iran until 2031.
Ulrike Putz
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
US trade relations with China and India could be further strained as the law imposes tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian energy.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- How effective will sanctions be in curbing Russian energy exports?
- What countermeasures could China and India take if they are affected by US tariffs?
- What will the Trump administration's implementation of the law look like?
